semivitreous

American  

[sem-ee-vi-tree-uhs, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm iˈvɪ tri əs, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

adjective

1. partially vitreous.

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semivitreous British  

/ ˌsɛmɪˈvɪtrɪəs /

adjective

1. partially vitreous

2. ceramics not wholly impervious to liquid

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Etymology

Origin of semivitreous

First recorded in 1775–85; semi- + vitreous

Example Sentences

It is distinguished by the white gritty material of which it is made, largely composed of sand, and forming what is sometimes known as “frit” from its semi-vitreous consistency.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 6 "Celtes, Konrad" to "Ceramics" by Various

Andesite.—This is a dark-coloured, compact or vesicular, semi-vitreous group of volcanic rocks, composed essentially of a glassy plagioclase felspar, and a ferro-magnesian constituent enclosed in a glassy base.

From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Hull, Edward

The columns of basaltes have been raised by the congelation or expansion of granite beds in the act of cooling from their semi-vitreous fusion.

From The Botanic Garden A Poem in Two Parts. Part 1: the Economy of Vegetation by Darwin, Erasmus

In a great hall is a store, arranged on shelves, of the semi-vitreous porcelain, or coarse enamel, in cakes half an inch thick and several inches in diameter.

From The American Quarterly Review No. XVIII, June 1831 (Vol 9) by Various